


in quiet truth there is relief

by missymeggins



Category: Castle (TV 2009)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-10-25
Updated: 2010-10-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:27:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23080168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missymeggins/pseuds/missymeggins
Summary: For the record, he would get her out of jail too. And it would mean something.
Relationships: Kate Beckett/Richard Castle
Kudos: 7





	in quiet truth there is relief

_in quiet truth there is relief_ ; **Castle/Beckett** , Castle. g. 1406 words. episode tag for 'Anatomy of a Murder'

  
“You coming?” she asks him casually, as he's standing there watching her walk away with no idea that what she just said feels like it might be the most important thing he's ever heard from her lips. (Even more important than the knowledge that she used to ride a motorbike in tight, sexy – he's added that adjective himself but he's sure it's true – black leather, and that was pretty damn important. Or awesome. Same thing in his mind.)

Of course, he shouldn't let himself jump to conclusions. It's just something she said, not at all an echo of Martha's earlier statement. How could it mean the same thing, he muses, when she didn't hear Martha say it in the first place?

He should just forget it. She'd get him out of jail – but it doesn't _mean_ anything.

(For the record, he would get _her_ out of jail too. And it _would_ mean something.)

“Yeah,” he says, striding quickly to catch up with her. “Wait, where are we going again?” he asks as she strides purposefully into the elevator.

“You made me hungry with those damn burgers,” she tells him pointedly. “You're taking me to dinner.”

…

“What's with you tonight,” she asks him, stealing fries off his plate as he just sort of stares into space. (Or at her, really, but she's ignoring that.) “You've barely said a word since we got here and it's not even because you're stuffing your face!”

He pauses for a moment, looking at her even more intently than he already had been, and says “Would you really get me out of jail?”

She breathes a sigh of relief and laughs. “Of course, why wouldn't I?”

“Well,” he says, looking down at his plate now and she realises that there's more to this question than she thought because he doesn't do that; let people see that he's not actually completely confident and sure of himself all the time. She only knows because she's seen that look, very occasionally, on his face when something to do with Alexis has had him questioning his skills as a parent - something _she_ knows he never has true cause to doubt. But there it is, that doubt, on his face now in front of her and she's not sure she understands it in this context.

“It's not exactly the kind of thing you just do for anyone,” he tells her, and the words are slow, hesitant. “I mean, Greg really really loved Amy to go to all that trouble.”

She feels the blush rise to her cheeks and she looks away because this is just like earlier when he said “I love you” except that it didn't mean that then and it doesn't mean that now. She knows that. But still, for a split second it sounds like the complete and utter truth and she can't ignore the fact that it makes her feel _something._

She lifts her eyes to his again, shrugging a little as she does. (It's not easy to pretend like this conversation is no big deal, but it's instinct to do so because she's so used to needing to protect herself from the truth.)

“Yeah, well. You're not just anyone Castle.”

(For a moment those words feel like a betrayal and she doesn't understand why but then she remembers. Josh. It's not a betrayal though; Castle came first. And there are _things_ , differences – besides the obvious – between him and Josh. Castle knows about Johanna, Josh doesn't. Castle is... _Castle_. There's no other way to define it.)

“Really?” he asks her and his face is a question.

It rattles her that he has to ask. She knows things have been a little rocky since the summer but it never changed the fact that he's important to her and it couldn't erase all that he's brought to her life. Besides, the awkwardness of the summer had seemed to be behind them. She felt herself mentioning the fact that Josh was a doctor before she'd even had time to consider whether it was a good idea. And he had brought up Gina without hesitation and it didn't sting the way she was afraid it might. It just sort of hurled itself at her with a dull thud, only to fade so quickly that within seconds they were normal again, two partners leaning against a car and talking about their lives as they waited for a suspect.

He shouldn't need to ask.

Of course, if she's objective she can see that she still has a tendency to internalise things. She still doesn't always let on what she's feeling and maybe she hasn't really made it clear to him that he's not just anyone to her. Or at least, not clear enough.

“You're my partner Castle, you know that. I'm hardly gonna let you rot in jail.”

“Yeah,” he nods unenthusiastically. “Of course.”

That's not enough though, she sees that on his face. It's not about 'partners' anymore. Of course it's not enough, and it shouldn't be.

She slides her hand across the table and brushes her fingertips against his, just enough for him to feel it.

“And you're my friend,” she adds as honestly as she can, hoping he can hear it.

He looks at her and he knows her face so well by now, can read the truth on it (though there have been times when he's chosen not to but he knows now that it's a mistake do so) and he smiles, gripping her hand in his briefly.

“You're my friend too Kate. One of my best.”

She smiles back at him. “Really?” And her voice is almost a little shy as her hand goes to her hair, fiddling with a few strands before letting it fall back to her shoulders.

These conversations, that rest solely on honesty, are new to them. They've relied so much on assumptions until now; naked truth is long overdue.

“Really.” His voice is confident, but there's nothing false in it and it feels good to hear it.

“Good,” she tells him, reigning in the smile a little, as much so her cheeks won't hurt as anything else. “Cos I'm going to be needing the rest of your fries. And maybe an ice cream.”

He laughs at that and she can't deny that it's one of her favourite sounds these days; silence is no longer satisfying.

“Well, it's no jailbreak, but I think I can probably manage that.”

And he pushes his plate, fries and all, over to her.

…

“So. You're favourite ice cream flavour is mint choc chip? I wouldn't have guessed that about you.”

“What can I say Castle, I'm a creature of habit. It's been my favourite since I was a kid,” she shrugs, as they wander back toward the precinct.

She has paperwork to do and he insists on walking her there – not because she needs protecting (obviously) but because it's the polite thing to do. She rolls her eyes at this but she doesn't send him away.

“Guess it's true what they say. You do learn something new every day.”

“Yeah, cos my favourite ice cream flavour is such riveting stuff,” she says resisting, this time, the urge to roll her eyes. (For politeness' sake; he did buy her ice cream after all. She figures she has to do something in return.)

“Hey, information like this can be surprisingly useful,” he tells her and she just shakes her head at him in amusement.

“So, I'll just wait for you to surprise me then,” she says, just as they reach the precinct.

“You do that, Detective,” he smiles at her, following it up with his usual farewell. “Until tomorrow.”

For once, the thought of heading back to her desk to finish the case's paperwork isn't quite as exhausting as it usually is. It's been a long day, but she feels light; happy and relaxed, something she feels all too rarely. Not that she doesn't love her job, but she knows, like all those in law enforcement, that it can take it's toll.

But not tonight.

“See you tomorrow Castle,” she says, nodding at him as he turns to leave.

Tonight she's content.

  



End file.
